How To

Do you want to give an awesome talk at Ignite FinCon? Awesome, we would love to have you. Here is what you need to do if you want to be a speaker?

1. Pick an amazing topic

A lot of people are going to want to speak, and we will not have time for everyone. Make sure to pick a topic that your fellow Ignite FinCon speakers will want to learn about.

Remember, we will be sitting in conference sessions all day hearing about boring exciting topics like monitization strategy and building your community, so try to pick something outside the FinCon box to keep it fun and interesting (and entertaining) for all.

2. Get votes

After your topic is submitted, we will have a public vote to pick the best topics. Each person can only vote once. Be fair and fun while recruiting.

3. Prepare Your Talk

You will be contacted after voting ends. If you were picked, it is time to put your presentation together. Each presentation should have exactly 20 slides and each slide should be set to auto-advance every 15 seconds.

The best presentations have slides that use very little text and one or two big images. Do not use any funky slide transitions, animations, or sound. Just you talking and your slides.

Here are some great articles about how to put together a successful Ignite talk. If you want to read more (suggested), hit Google and see what you can learn. Also, watch a handful of other presentations for the past for ideas of what works and what doesn’t.

Get your slides done and practice, practice, practice. Memorizing a speech leads to mistakes and nerves, so it is best to just practice and have a good idea of the flow of your talk. As Pat knows, things can go wrong and it is important to be able to improvise.

5. Come Prepared, Relaxed, and Ready to Have Fun

If you follow step 3 and 4, step five should come naturally. Everyone is there to support you, learn something new, and hopefully get a few good laughs. Don’t worry or stress too much. Come out and be ready for a fun evening for all!

Oh Yeah, Follow the Rules

All speakers must adhere to the following:

You are not a primary speaker at any of the sessions – panelists can speak at Ignite

Your topic teaches something of value

Your topic is above the belt

You have shown that you are prepared for your presentations (not missed the deadlines, blown off emails)

Your topic is an original presentation (you can’t repeat something you have done before)

Your presentation does not include video or audio. Only static slides are allowed.

You do not pitch/promote your business. (Our audience hates that kind of stuff, so it’s not allowed.)